Here Comes the Sun
by Daisybooks
Summary: "To be fully seen by someone, then, and be loved anyhow–this is a human offering that can border on miraculous." Jane Sullivan expected to spend her entire life in Gilbert, Arizona–until she wakes up in the country of Narnia, a world she assumed only existed in a book. Follow Jane as she learns acceptance, finds love, and realizes who she is.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Good morning (or evening) my lovely readers! This is a new story that I have begun working on. It is an Edmund/OC story set in the Golden Age. I hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own a single novel, movie, or piece of merchandise to do with Narnia. Other than characters mentioned either in the novels or movies, all characters are of my own making.**

* * *

_Year 1008, September 17. Narnia._

It was night, dark night. Crickets sang under the leaves of the many trees, coaxing Dryads to sleep. The soft, almost indistinguishable, sound of the ocean brought mermaids into a deep rest. Amongst the thick trees, one could barely make out the castle glowing like a beacon on the cliff.

Hidden in a small clearing, a fire crackled, illuminating the different faces of one of the patrols. Despite the warm evening and festivities, the soldiers were grim. They were hoping to have been spending the night at the castle, enjoying themselves. Instead, they had to suffice to sleeping on the cold floor while their friends danced the night away.

A faun by the name of Rilf got up and dusted his hands. "Well, I'll be heading in. I'll have the last shift." The others muttered their goodnights as the creature walked farther into the woods.

Minutes passed as the soldiers conversed in hushed whispers over their supper of fish. Soon, the group was breaking apart, and only two were left warming themselves by the fire, already starting their shift.

Nothing could be heard but the soft crackle of the fire and snorting sounds. The centaur assumed it was his companions' snoring, but when he turned to his right, he glared at the minotaur.

"Be a bit more loud, eh? Scare away everything," he said, as the minotaur ripped apart his fish.

"Sorry," the creature grumbled and went about licking his paws. Chunks of bone and meat flew into the fire, a piece of eye falling on the other's hoof. Muttering something under his breath, the centaur walked a bit into the forest so as to start his watch.

Everything was silent. Already overhead, the moonlight shone through the branches, the only source of light what with the fire being out. Beside the centaur, the minotaur stared out at the palace, watching the lights dim until they were extinguished.

In the heavy silence, a crack suddenly sounded. The centaur's eyes squinted, trying to make out what the source of it was.

"That you?" the creature whispered to the minotaur.

The hairy beast shook his head, already starting to quiver. "N-n-o-o-o." He stepped closer to the centaur, attempting to hide or have some protection.

Stupid, superstitious lot. _How'd I get stuck with him? _the centaur thought to himself. Taking a step back, he swung his torch to illuminate the far shadows of the clearing. Nothing moved but the shoulders of the sleeping soldiers.

Another crack. Swinging his torch to the other side, the light didn't catch on to any movement. It seemed the patrol was completely alone, yet something must have been causing the noise.

Seconds passed and nothing. The minotaur sighed happily, and started going back to his position until a shriek cried out in the gloom of the night.

"What is it?! Get it off me!" a voice screamed, high pitched and loud. The other soldiers were rushing towards them, their swords drawn, pointing at no specific location.

More cracks sound, and the patrol glances around itself, attempting to pinpoint what it was. Leaves rustle and fall, more shrieks cry out, as well as several curses. The soldiers are in chaos, beginning to assume a ghost to be the cause of attack, until an object falls from a nearby tree, bringing down the minotaur with it.

Cantering towards it, the centaur extended his sword, the point gleaming as it poked the body.

"What are you? State your claim to a Guard of Narnia!" the centaur bellowed. Muffled cries reply, to the soldier's dismay. _And people say Minotaurs are fierce._

Picking the body off of his comrade, the creature sent a quick glare towards the minotaur, turning his attention quickly back to the spy.

"Don't make me repeat myself! What are you?"

Cloaked in a dark fabric, it lifted its blue eyes to meet those of the soldier's. Cradling its arm, it winces when raising its head, the sword cutting a thin line down its throat.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I was just- Wait. Where the hell am I? And what are you?" Its brows furrowed, and its eyes gaped at the centaur.

Rilf, the faun, scrutinized the strange creature. It bared a strange resemblance to that of the kings and queens, what little he saw of them at least.

"Don't play the innocent act. You know where you are, spy," a satyr spit out in disgust.

Beside him, a faun growled. "And how many of your friends are hidden? How many troops does your leader have?"

The creature, completely confused, stared blankly at the different specimen before it. Then, after a moment's realizations, its eyes widened with a smirk. "This is a dream isn't it? Or some sort of prank? Listen, you can stop the act. It's funny. I get the joke." It chuckled, but abruptly stopped when sensing that nobody else was joining in. The minotaur stared at the thing like it was mad. To the soldiers, it definitely looked like it.

Placing its hands on its hips, it pursed its lips. "I'm being serious. Aren't there supposed to be lights? And then I'll see that it's all a set, and then some guy is gonna come out and say 'You just got pranked' in a really weird voice. And my parents will come out and laugh, and the camera will pan over my reaction, and then you guys can take off your costumes." Nodding, it smiled at the different soldiers.

The patrol was utterly confused. This creature must be mad. It was like it was possessed, or from a different country. Certainly not Archenland. And even Calormen wasn't _this_ strange.

Stepping closer, the centaur pressed his sword more tightly against his prisoner's neck. "What are you? And what business do you have here?"

The creature stared at the different soldiers, not sure what was going on. A thought dawned on it. Perhaps this was a dream. Maybe, these people are going to kill it.

Without another second's thought, it slowly got up, its hands raised in surrender.

"I-I," it said, before bolting in the opposite direction, towards the ocean.

Of course, had this creature known where it was and what inhabitants it had, it would have realized such an act was careless and will bring out horrible consequences. In only a matter of seconds, a centaur was coming around her, holding his sword in the air. Before it had a chance to run in the other direction, it was knocked cold, an impression of the butt of the sword marking its forehead.

The patrol immediately surrounded it, speaking amongst themselves, not sure what it was nor what was going on. The minotaur was trembling again, clutching onto a faun, tiny in comparison. Glaring at the beast holding him for dear life, the faun squirmed out of its grasp.

Sheathing his sword, the centaur knelt down and lifted the creature in his arms. Lifting his eyes, his voice was cold, his instructions blunt.

"All except Rilf stay here and keep patrol. Do not speak of this, and have double the soldiers for each shift, no exceptions." Before any could fight back, the faun and centaur were already heading to Cair Paravel, a deep sense of worry settling in their hearts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: No piece of Narnia is of my creation. Not even Edmund's favorite toast. The only things of my own creation are characters that you are not familiar with and/or not mentioned in Aslan's Universe. **

_Year 1008, September 18. Cair Paravel._

Cradled into a thick blanket, her dark brown eyes stared at the cracks in the wooden floor. There were three, and the lengths disappeared beneath the bed. She had been staring at these three cracks for almost an hour, although it could have been only five minutes.

The last thing Jane remembered was the crunch of metal against metal, and the crackle of glass breaking. It was raining, and just the day before, the weatherman predicted a week of sun and heat. Rushing home from the grocery store, she could barely see a foot in front of her through the thick drops of rain, until another vehicle collided with hers.

She didn't remember pain. In fact, the minute the cars crashed into each other, she closed her eyes for just a second, and opened them to see clouds above her head. Jane presumed it to be Heaven, and lay stock still in the bed for who knows how long. How could she be dead? She had so much more life to live, so many more places to see, and so many more things to do. Staring at the pearly white clouds and the dusk pink sky, it took her quite a while to realize the image was a mural.

Lifting herself up, she winced at the sudden blast of pain that shot through her sides. Completely naked under the bedding, Jane checked her body for scars, although she saw none. In fact, her entire skin was scar free, even from the small little scratches from years passed. Was she even in a car crash? Or maybe it was all a dream? Maybe she went through a seizure in bed, and had to be taken to the hospital. Although, what hospital had murals on ceilings? Jane's mother wouldn't spend thousands of dollars on her just to get her the best hospital in the world. No matter how much she loved her, her mother would place her in Gilbert Hospital, just a couple minutes from home. And from past experiences, she knew Gilbert didn't have murals for ceilings, or even wooden floors. It was all linoleum. Besides, where was the remote control to get the nurse? Or the IV? If she had a seizure, wouldn't she have an IV?

Right across her bed was an open window which she didn't notice until she asked herself a list of all possible questions. The sheer white curtains fluttered in the soft wind which smelled faintly of the ocean. Arizona didn't have an ocean. California had an ocean, but she didn't live anywhere near California. Her town didn't even have a lake, let alone an entire ocean. Neither did Arizona have thick dense woods, which was her view. A dark green, the giant trees spread in all directions like a blanket. In the distance, a bird warbled.

It was all too much for Jane. She was definitely not in Arizona, or anywhere near Arizona. She had no idea where she was and what happened. Maybe this was Heaven, she thought to herself. But, like, an infirmary in Heaven. They must have doctors there, like if you get sick. Then again, the Bible never said anything about angels being sick, and she never thought to ask.

So, turning to her side, she decided to focus on the little things first and clear her head. That was how she got to her predicament of staring at the same three cracks in the wooden floor for half an hour.

Humming random notes to herself, Jane extended her finger to trace the cracks. It was relaxing, sort of. The wood smelled of apples, and she recalled how Arizona didn't have a lot of apple trees. Arizona didn't have a lot of anything, really.

Stretching out her legs, she felt something hard at her feet. Pushing slightly more, the object didn't budge. Finally, she annoyingly got up to see what it was, when she suddenly shrieked.

The dog's fur bristled and it turned its head towards the girl, its amber eyes glaring fiercely.

Jane's entire body shook, too scared to move an inch. Maybe this was a nice dog. Maybe it won't kill her. The glare proved otherwise though.

"Good doggy. Good doggy. Stay. Stay," she squeaked out, too scared to do anything else. She wasn't much of a dog person, nor a rabid beast person either, and hoped that her extensive knowledge of dog movies proved worthwhile.

Rolling its eyes, the dog began to lick its paws. "Aslan's Mane, you're annoying."

Jane's eyes widened with shock. _Did this dog just talk? I'm going crazy. This is all a dream or a hallucination, because dogs don't talk._

Closing her eyes, she took deep breaths, like her psychiatrist told her. _1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7._

"What are you doing?"

_Don't respond. It's just a dream. In a couple seconds, I'll wake up in a hospital, with nurses, and IVs, and linoleum, and the smell of coffee. Oh, coffee._

The dog sighed. "You would think after what you've been through, a talking canine wouldn't seem strange."

"You're not real. This is all just a dream. You're just a doctor, telling me to wake up. My brain's messed up. I'm in a coma," Jane replied, although more to herself than to the animal. _If only Doc could see me now. Talking to animals. I would be sent to an asylum, let alone another psychiatrist._

Minutes passed where she couldn't hear anything but the deep, hairy breaths of the dog. The animal shifted, making the cot creak under the weight, and jumped off the bed, his nails clicking on the floor. Jane assumed he had left, or perhaps she was finally coming back to reality. That was what she thought, until a thick tongue licked her face.

Wet spit trickled down her nose and she couldn't utter a sound. She was just licked by a dog. A talking dog. She had spit all over her face. It was disgusting!

Opening her eyes, Jane openly glared at the animal. It bared its fangs and chuckled, although it looked far more ferocious. Breathing heavily, the dog's tongue lolled out.

"Really?! Was that necessary?" Jane said angrily. Great. I'm arguing with a dog. A big, smelly, disgusting dog.

Growling at her, he padded over to her side. "Suck it up and deal with it. I fear to imagine your reaction when you meet Oreius." After a pause, he began to chortle.

"Actually, never mind. Your reaction would be very amusing. Oh, you humans are so strange." The dog jumped back onto the cot, which caused a spark of pain to burst in her leg for a second. Wincing, Jane stared curiously, and still fearfully, at the animal.

After a moment of scrutinization, the dog started to speak again. "What's your name, human?"

"Jane," the girl quickly replied. "And what's your name? Fluffy? Fido?"

The dog growled again, prepared to chomp Jane's head off for her insults. "Enis, actually. And I would prefer for you to cease the canine jokes."

"But-but how can you talk? It's just-it's-animals don't talk!" Jane stuttered out. How in the world could animals talk? They're...animals! From her freshman biology class, she knew other life forms outside of humans didn't talk because of their small brain sizes. They lacked the complexity to have a language, a form of communication. Even apes couldn't talk and they were the closest to humans in evolution.

The dog whined. "Please, lower your voice. My head hurts from all your whining."

Resting his head on his paws, Enis continued. "And to answer your question, just like you do. I happen to be blessed with the art of speech and intelligent thinking, something which unfortunately passed some of my fellow canines. I don't know how they manage."

Jane frowned, still not quite understanding. Blessed? Like from a god? But, it's simply not biological! If the DNA was the same, then it was impossible!

Gaping at the dog, she just couldn't comprehend her situation. She was obviously not on Earth, seeing as how no animals talked back home. Nor was she even in this solar system. She was probably lightyears away, stuck on a planet which somehow can speak English, had the similar environment as Earth, as well as similar lifeforms. If NASA was here, they would burst with excitement.

Enis cleared his throat. "It's hard to explain and will take far too long, considering how little time we have before their Majesties need to see you. I'm just here to make sure you're always guarded. Now come along." Jumping off the cot, he began to pad his way out of the infirmary, only to stop in his tracks and turn back to Jane.

"Well, come on!" he said, gesturing out the door.

Jane cocked her head and pursed her lips. "You expect me to see royalty like _this_? Naked?"

The canine rolled his eyes and began to pad in the opposite direction. "Doesn't bother me," he muttered under his breath.

Before she could retort something back, Enis started to howl.

"Kyra! Come in here! The human's awake! Aslan's Mane, for some petals you're slow!"

Before Jane could have any warning, a flurry of petals and leaves blew into the room through the window. The petals spun faster until they formed a young woman coldly staring down the dog. Clad in a pale pink dress, she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thank you for not offending the Dryad species any more," she said curtly.

"You're welcome" Enis replied, but the Dryad was already briskly gliding towards Allison who lay gaping at the creature. Although she had already met a Talking Dog, she still wasn't prepared to meet something like...this. Just seconds before it was petals. And now...

Smiling gently at Jane, the Dryad got to the point. "I'm Kyra, one of the nurses here at Cair Paravel. I trust you feel well?"

The girl nodded slowly. "I-I'm so confused. What-how-I" She couldn't finish her sentence, too flabbergasted to understand what was going on.

Kyra's brows furrowed with concern and she knelt beside Jane. "I know you must be confused, and scared, and want to go back to wherever you came from. But, you must follow my instructions carefully. We don't want you fainting."

Jane gulped. Although the Dryad was kind and obviously not causing any harm, fear and sadness rose deep within her. If she was lightyears away, what was her mother thinking? She just disappeared, off the face of the Earth. All of Gilbert would be worrying, freaking out, and be calling the government to ponder as to what happened. That's what the citizens of Gilbert did. They worried over something as small as a broken bone. The entire nation would just assume it was a kidnapping, and those happened practically every week in more populated areas. Nobody would suppose she was on another planet. And what would happen to Jane? Would she be sent to make her own way? Would she be forced to make a decision as to what she wanted to do? She was only 17! She hadn't even begun applying to college, and now she had to decide as to what she wanted to do on a planet far from home?

Kyra continued. "In an hour, you'll meet their Majesties, the kings and queens of Narnia. Don't be afraid. They're very kind and will make sure you're comfortable. They'll ask you some questions, as to where you came from, what happened. You have to answer honestly. They've all been fraught with worry for three days."

The Dryad's concern resembled that of a parent's, as if Jane was a child. She felt like one right now. She was all alone, with no hope of getting home, and nobody looked like they had the technology to build a spaceship. She had no remnant of home, nothing to remind her of reality, of Earth. For the first time since she got here, she wasn't confused. No, she was terrified, and felt as if her insides were about to explode. She was all alone. _I am all alone. _

Her body began to shake, and she hid her eyes in her hands. Don't cry. Just breathe. _1. 2. 3. 4._ Her breathing quivered, and her sight began to flood with tears. _I am all alone. _Tears left paths on her cheeks, and she brushed them away. Eventually, though, she gave up. Wailing into her palms, her thoughts blurred into one. Everything she wanted, everything she had, everything she thought was gone. She was all alone. _I am all alone._

Enis whined sadly, smelling the sadness radiating off of the girl. It was a horrible smell, and made his heart hang heavy. Drooping his head in Jane's lap, he listened to the wails coming straight from her center

Kyra placed a hand on the girl's shoulder gingerly. Not knowing what to do, the Dryad rubbed her back, giving her comforting words to grasp onto. None of them worked. It didn't matter that the kings and queens were 'lovely' and the balls were 'spectacular' and that Narnia 'looks wonderful in the summer'. None of that mattered. It wasn't home. It wasn't Gilbert, Arizona. It wasn't its heat, or its quaintness, or its comforting neighbors. It wasn't its endless summers, or its creamy ice cream, or its cool water jetting out of the sprinklers. Narnia was none of that. She would never have that again.

* * *

_3 hours later, Council Room_

"We haven't had disturbances from Telmar lately."

"That's why it's a perfect time for them to attack!"

"They're plotting I tell you!"

"We must think this through rationally."

"And what if she escapes?"

Out of all the places in the castle, the Council Room was the one with the most noise, the most disturbances. Queen Susan remembered a time when they were younger and just beginning their reign, when the Council Room was peaceful and sociable. True, the different creatures were trying to make the beginning slightly easier for the children, but they also had a common enemy on their hands, and a common goal. Nowadays, it seemed each citizen of Narnia had their own opinion. After a while, Susan learned how to shut it out.

Across from her, her elder brother, Peter, sat with his head in his hands, rubbing to ease the ache. _He'll need some chamomile tea once this is over_, Susan thought. Several seats on her right, her younger sister, Lucy, was diligently taking notes, occasionally lifting her head to know who was saying what. The siblings will need the notes once this over. Although they usually only used the notes for historical documentation, the monarchs understood what was going on primarily because their other brother, Edmund, filled them in. It seemed he was the only one who actually listened to what the different creatures were saying, as opposed to Lucy who wrote and Peter who just rubs his head all meeting. Sadly, he was in Archenland, getting the treaty resigned with King Lune. Susan was meant to go with him, but once receiving word that the Calormen delegation would be arriving come October, she declined. The council meeting wasn't meant to happen either, for they had one just days before. It was the centaurs that scheduled it, for just last night, a girl was found in the forests bordering the Dancing Lawn. It was just their luck Susan decided to cancel the hunting party that was meant to go out this morning.

"What think you, Queen Susan?" a small badger asked the queen, his earthy voice bringing her back to the meeting.

Smiling politely at the animal, Susan pursed her lips. "She was confused as to where she was, correct, General?"

General Oreius, a centaur, nodded. "Yes, my queen. One of the guard relayed this information to me."

"Well, if she was genuinely confused, that would cancel out possibilities of her being a spy, or even from any lands near Narnia. Of course, in the dark, she could have lost sense of direction. I think we should wait until we get more information," she said. Glancing across the table, she noticed Peter grimly biting his lip.

Her brother opened his mouth, for the first time during that meeting. "I just fear that if we trust her too easily, she may twist us, possess us. She could just be playing innocent and confused, for all we know." Around him, several creatures and lords nodded in agreement.

"Then, we must keep a careful eye on her. Make sure she is who she says she is," Susan replied. As Lucy scribbled that statement down, the general was about to open his mouth until a knock sounded on the door.

Sighing, Peter took a sip of his water. "Please do not disturb us. This is a council meeting."

Through the door, a light voice spoke. "My king, I bring the girl." The councilmen's eyes meet one another's, wide with disbelief. Their backs straightening, they put on solemn faces.

The queen looked over to Lucy, who was chewing the end of her pencil. Their eyes meet, and Lucy purses her lips, slightly afraid and concerned.

Before Susan could mouth some reassurances, Peter replied, "Bring her in."

Creaking, the door opened to reveal a Dryad holding the hand of a small girl - no, _woman_ - whose eyes were scanning the different creatures in the room. She was clad in a simple light red dress, the uniform of the human maids. Susan noticed a rope tied around her waist, seeing as how the dress was slightly big for the girl.

The councilmen began to whisper amongst themselves, bringing fear and caution to the girl's wide blue eyes. Taking a lock of her dark hair, she started biting it, slightly shaking from nerves.

Lucy grinned and leaped up to soothe the poor dear.

"Hello. I'm Queen Lucy. What's your name?" she asked gently. Around her, the creatures leaned in to hear her response.

"Jane," the girl muttered, still shocked. Susan noticed that her eyes were slightly red, probably from tears.

Taking Jane's hand, Lucy lead her over to a seat, which the Dryad had placed next to the queen. Settling into it, the girl glanced to her left and shrunk closer to Lucy so as not to touch the hairy beast grinning down at her.

Peter stood, bringing the room's attention the young king. Straightening, he stared regally at Jane.

"You are in the presence of the representatives for each creature in Narnia, as well as my siblings, the queens Susan and Lucy, and myself, High King Peter. What is your business here? What were you doing last night?" He said, his voice ringing in every corner of the room.

Staring at the tapestry laying down the middle of the wooden table, Jane fiddled with her hands.

"I-I-well-it's jus-" she tried to say, angering Peter even more.

"Speak clearly. All information said in this room will be kept confidential," he commented.

Tucking a dark lock of hair behind her ear, Jane raised her blue eyes to meet the kind smile of a Badger.

"Well, I-I was-It was raining, and I was driving my car, and then I must have hit something, because the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the infirmary." Her words stumbled out, and she blushed under the cold stare of the king.

A dwarf, stout and greying, frowned grimly. "A car? What sort of beast is that?"

Jane shook her head, her brows furrowing. "It-it's not an animal. I-it's- wait, how do you not know what a car is? Where am I?"

At the mention of a 'car', something, a memory, came up to the front of Susan's mind. It wasn't clear, and she wasn't sure what it was, but it seemed like something metal, like a box, that people sat in. It..it..moved. Without horses or anything. Smoke floated out from the bottom of this machine, like it was magic. But it seemed safe. All around there were...cars moving, people talking, laughing, and singing in them. There were hundreds. No, thousands. How strange, Susan thought.

Lucy scrutinized the girl, slightly shocked she didn't know her location. "Well, dear girl, you're in Narnia." Glancing at the Dryad, she frowned. "Have you checked for signs of a concussion? Memory loss?"

The Dryad shrugged. "She seemed to have perfect memory, although she was slightly confused as to where she was. She's never seen a Talking Dog before! And I believe I'm the first Dryad she's ever seen."

Tapping a finger on her chin, Lucy's brows furrowed. "Maybe hallucinations?"

From her spot beside the young queen, Jane bristled. "Can you please stop talking like I'm not here? I'm not crazy!" She spit out, a glare sent to the nurse standing behind her. Susan gaped at her in shock. This girl couldn't be a spy. She was far too confused and lost as to what was going on. She's probably not even from anywhere near here. Maybe there are countries north of Ettinsmoor. Or west of Telmar. Or south of Calormen. But then how did she get here? If she doesn't know of Narnia, she wouldn't have any reason to go here. And surely, if she passed Telmar or Archenland, she would have heard stories of Cair Paravel.

"You said you came here from a...car," Susan spoke, her gentle voice bringing the conversation back to its original course.

Jane fidgeted. "Yes," she said bluntly.

Susan continued. "What country are you from? What's it like? Perhaps it's too far from us, so we have no knowledge of your land." The councilmen frowned at their queen, not realizing such a possibility. Pondering on such a thought, they almost missed what the girl said.

"I doubt you haven't heard of it. I mean, everybody knows about America," Jane said smartly, her lips lifting up in a smirk.

"Obviously we haven't," Peter quickly said, growing quickly annoyed by this strange woman.

Rolling her eyes, Jane went on. "Come on. America? You know, Michael Phelps? New York City? Came here from England? Anything ring a bell? It's on planet Earth." She elongates the last word, making it obvious that's where she expects to be.

"England, England," Susan muttered under her breath. The name, it sounded so familiar. Another memory floated to the front of her mind. There were stars falling to the sky, turning everything into dust. There was...a woman waving goodbye to...Peter? And Lucy? Suddenly, they were on a strange moving vehicle, almost like a car, except it moved on wheels and smoke floated out the top of the machine. And then, Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and her were running through a house. Through the window, Susan could recall it was the countryside. The four of them ran through an empty room, save for a wardrobe, until they stumbled through it, and into a white clearing. In her mind, she felt surprise and confusion, until she noticed a lamppost and suddenly remembered.

Peter frowned at his sister. "Yes, Su? Were you saying something?"

Susan lifted her blue eyes to meet those of her brother's. Smiling, she recalled to the councilmen her memories, her shady past, which seemed so long ago.

Closing her eyes, Lucy pursed her lips. "I-I think-it seems so long ago. Like a dream? It's strange."  
Before they could remember more, the king and queens heard a snort.

"You came here from a wardrobe? Like, a closet?" Jane questioned, slightly in disbelief. These people were crazy.

Lucy looked towards Peter. "Maybe...Jane got here the same way we did. Maybe...she came from America just like we came from England." As she pronounced the two names, it sounded as if she were testing them on her tongue, as if they were foreign words.

"Except I didn't come here from a wardrobe," Jane pointed out.

Peter was rubbing his forehead again, until he suddenly opened his eyes and frowned. "But why?"

_But why?_

* * *

As she exited the Council Room, Jane could hear the different creatures whispering, as well as sense their curious beady eyes on her. It felt strange, feeling like an experiment, an abnormality. _You would think the situation would be reversed, that I would stare them._

Beside her, Kyra told her she had to go and check on the other patients, leaving Enis in her care. Left alone, Jane looked down each hallway, not entirely sure where to go.

After several minutes of wandering through different passage ways, the girl sighed.

"They should really get a map," Jane said to the canine who just grumbled.

"Let's head to the stables. We can find a stable hand," the dog replied, his nails clicking against the wood floor.

As the two wove their way downstairs, Jane stopped several times to admire the different artwork that hung on the walls. Most seemed like those she would see in a fancy picture book, although others seemed to document history through paint. There was a particular tapestry she saw that depicted a lion staring down at her, its wise eyes sad with sorrow, but full with hope. As the candlelight illuminated the animal's mane,s it seemed to almost move, as if blowing in the wind. Jane stepped closer to it, reaching out a hand to touch the tiny stitches in the cloth.

Centimeters away, she heard a whisper, growing stronger the more she walked towards the tapestry.

"Jane. Jane." It was a woman's voice, soft and loving, almost motherly. The lion's eyes, now amber with love, flickered at her, and the lips curved up into a smile. Before Jane could gasp at such magic, Enis growled at her to move along, and that they'd never get to the stables at this rate. As she turned the corner, the girl glanced back only to see the tapestry still and dead.

How weird. _It must be hallucinations, like Lucy said. Maybe, the crash, it messed up my brain or something. I read an article about that somewhere. The lion, it couldn't be moving. It's just hallucinations. And the voice...it was probably just a memory of Mom. It wasn't real._

Streaming down the side of the building, the sunlight warmed the stables. The closer Jane walked towards it, the more she could smell the scent of horses and hay. A stablehand was sweeping hay off of the hallway's floor, slightly bowing to Jane as she passed.

On either sides, dozens of horses stared at her, their warm, curious eyes scrutinizing her every move. Beside her, Enis sniffed and pretended to retch, bringing a kick from the girl's direction.

She had never seen horses before; at least, not in real life. Always, in the movies, the girl has a horse as a best friend, and in the end, the horse dies, or the girl dies, and everybody sobs. As the two buddies ran through the golden plains, it seemed so magical, so endless. It had never really occurred to her there was such a feeling in real life. Staring at these animals now, they didn't seem so magical. Instead, they seemed terrifying, with their majestic heights and snorting noses.

As Enis left her to go find a stablehand and inquire as to how they would find the Throne Room, Jane walked through the row of horses, occasionally stopping to glance at a name-tag. Somewhere down the middle of the line, a light brown mare nickered at her, her nose nudging the gate to exit the stables.

Rubbing the horse's nose, Jane glanced down at her name-plate. "Kai," she whispered to herself.

Pressing her nose closer into Jane's hand, the girl chuckled. "You want to leave too, don't you? I wish you could. You look lonely."

Jane bent down, reaching for an apple core that had rolled into the corner. Laying it out on the palm of her hand, she extended the fruit out towards Kai. Once upon a time, when she was eight, she went to the petting zoo for her birthday. She remembered feeding donkeys and goats, doing similar actions. It seemed so long ago. Jane hoped for the process to be the same.

Nickering, Kai's rough pink tongue licked her hand, scooping the apple core into her mouth. Crunching the fruit, she nudged the gate again, wanting to roam free.

Jane clicked her tongue sympathetically. "Sorry. No can do. I don't know how to ride a horse, and I'm afraid you'll have to come back."

Slouching her head on the gate, the horse neighed sadly, almost as if it understood her. She turned, and went to rest on a pile of hay, closing an eye for a moment.

"She's an old dear. Been around since we got here," someone said from behind Jane. Giggling, Lucy waved towards her. The young queen was kneeling beside a white horse, with a tiny foal snuggled into its side. Brushing the foal's white and grey speckled coat, the queen sighed with a content smile on her face.

"Took ol' Mary hours to get this one out. She's old too. It's a shame she won't be around to see her baby grow up," Lucy commented, pursing her lips.

Jane frowned and rested her back against Kai's gate. "Horses don't have a long emotional attachment to their parents, you know? Only humans do."

The queen nodded, brushing away a fly from her eye. "I know." Glancing up at Jane, she smiled sadly. "Doesn't mean we can't have emotional attachments to them."

As Lucy brushed the foal's mane, Jane recalled how much love could hurt, how little time she felt true feeling towards someone outside her parents. It seemed like forever, life, and the whole idea that she had all the time in the world. But she doesn't; nobody does. It's fleeting, no matter how hard it is to deny it. It's strange to think love and affection are the cause of that. The more you love someone, the more time passes, because it's never just a day with that person, it's a lifetime. Time doesn't seem relevant. Perhaps that was why it hurt all the more, to see love so quickly broken, by time, by dirt, by a gun.

Thankfully, the young queen broke the girl out of reverie before tears started to flood. Motioning her closer, Lucy patted the space beside her.

Grabbing Jane's hand, the queen stared at her expectantly, her eyes filled with hope and faith. Beaming at the foal, she shrugged.

"He hasn't been given a name yet, and everybody in the castle tried to help. Maybe you'll have better luck."

Staring at the tiny horse, curled up into his mother's side, life felt forever. The mare nudged her child's head, affectionately licking its mane. With the sunlight streaming down, and the hay spread all around them, it was a picture perfect moment, a second that photographers would want to treasure forever as a fleeting glimpse of true love amongst all species.  
"Kodak," Jane replied after some thought. Yes, Kodak. It fits him.

Frowning, Lucy cocked her head, biting her lip. "Kodak? What a strange name."

After several seconds though, after the young queen noticed the way the light turned the grain around them into a shining gold, after seeing the affectionate kiss from mother to son, Lucy understood.

"Yes, Kodak. Kodak. It's wonderful."


End file.
